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Justice News

Another KC Man Indicted for Kidnapping Resulting in Death

KANSAS CITY, Mo. – Tom Larson, Acting United States Attorney for the Western District of Missouri, announced that a second Kansas City, Mo., man was indicted by a federal grand jury today on charges related to the kidnapping and murder of another man.

Raynal King, 25, and Howard R. Ross, III, also known as “Lil’ Howard” and “Shooter,” 22, both of Kansas City, were charged in a six-count indictment returned by a federal grand jury in Kansas City, Mo. Today’s superseding indictment replaces a Sept. 21, 2016, indictment and adds Ross as a defendant.

Today’s indictment alleges that King and Ross participated in a conspiracy to kidnap a victim identified in court documents as “J.P.” on Sept. 6, 2016. According to the affidavit, King and Ross began planning to commit a robbery a couple of days earlier. They allegedly kidnapped J.P. and took his 2014 Jeep Patriot. They attempted to access the victim’s bank account with his debit card at two bank ATM locations, the indictment says. At approximately 6:12 a.m., they allegedly shot J.P. and left him lying on the roadway near 135th and Holmes in Kansas City, Mo.

In addition to the criminal conspiracy, King and Ross are charged together in one count of kidnapping resulting in death, one count of using a firearm to commit murder in relation to the kidnapping, one count of carjacking resulting in death, one count of using a firearm to commit murder in relation to the carjacking and one count of being felons in possession of a firearm. King and Ross, both having been convicted of felony crimes, allegedly possessed a Springfield Armory .45-caliber pistol.

According to an affidavit filed in support of the original criminal complaint, J.P. was last known to be driving his black Jeep Patriot from a hospital, where he had been caring for a family member, towards his home sometime between 5 a.m. and 6 a.m. that day. Shortly after leaving the hospital, J.P. called his wife and asked her for the PIN to their debit card.

There were several failed attempts to use J.P.'s debit card at different ATMs that morning. According to the affidavit, King told investigators that he and Ross began talking about where they should drop off J.P., who remained conscious after having been shot. King told investigators that J.P. attempted to jump out of the vehicle and was shot at again. King, who was driving, slowed down the vehicle after J.P. jumped out. He looked in the rear view mirror and saw J.P. lying in the street then kept driving back to his residence.

Investigators obtained surveillance video from one of the ATMs that allegedly showed King driving J.P.'s vehicle shortly after 6 a.m. J.P. was in the passenger seat of the vehicle, according to the affidavit, with his arms straight out and palms on the dashboard. An unidentified person was in the back seat. King was also seen (driving a different vehicle) in surveillance video at the 7-Eleven at 8901 Wornall Road, Kansas City, Mo., the affidavit says, where more failed attempts had been made to use the debit card at an ATM inside the store about an hour later.

King was identified and located on Sept. 8, 2016. A Kansas City, Mo., police officer conducted a traffic stop and detained King, who has remained in federal custody since his arrest.

Larson cautioned that the charges contained in this indictment are simply accusations, and not evidence of guilt. Evidence supporting the charges must be presented to a federal trial jury, whose duty is to determine guilt or innocence.

This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Jess E. Michaelsen. It was investigated by the Kansas City, Mo., Police Department and the FBI.